Device for slicing foodstuff

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for slicing foodstuffs. According to said method, a cutting blade ( 4 ) and a cutting edge part ( 3 ) form a cutting clearance and measures are taken to form an optimal cutting clearance, in particular a cutting clearance with a zero value, during each cutting operation, by means of an active or passive displacement of the cutting edge part ( 3 ).

[0001] The invention relates to an apparatus for the slicing of foodproducts such as ham, sausage, cheese and the like comprising a cuttingknife which is driven in a rotating manner and/or which circulates in aplanetary manner and whose cutting plane extends perpendicular to aproduct support surface of a product supply device, with the end of theproduct support surface at the cutting knife side being formed by acutting edge part which forms a cutting gap together with the cuttingknife.

[0002] Clean and flawless cuts are demanded from such apparatuses, whichare usually called slicers and which work at very high cutting speeds,even at these very high operating speeds and in particular also withproducts which are more difficult to cut up.

[0003] In particular the quality and/or the accuracy of the cutting gapformed between the support surface for the respectively supplied productand the cutting knife which both rotates about its own axis andcirculates in a planetary manner have an influence on the cuttingquality.

[0004] In practice, the quality and/or accuracy of the cutting gap isimpaired above all by depth differences of the cutting knife which arecaused by production and which can easily result in deviations arisingwith respect to the desired cutting gap size, with the desired cuttinggap size being zero in the ideal case.

[0005] It is the object of the present invention to design an apparatusof the kind initially named in a manner such that differences from thedesired cutting gap impairing the cutting quality can be eliminated andthus an optimum and constant cutting gap can be ensured independently ofthe respectively used knife and also independently of the respectiveoperating conditions.

[0006] In accordance with the invention, this object is satisfied inthat the cutting edge part is displaceably supported perpendicular tothe cutting plane and is resiliently biased toward an abutment and inthat the abutment is positioned and the cutting edge part is designedsuch that the cutting edge part is at least touched by the knife in eachknife passage opposite to the bias applied and is in particulardeflected slightly against (or opposite to) the bias.

[0007] The cutting edge part, which forms the cutting gap together withthe cutting knife, is displaced by a minimal amount from its baseposition due to this design, with the size of this displacement lying inthe range of a few tenths of a millimeter.

[0008] To ensure a cooperation free of problems between the cuttingknife and the cutting edge part in this connection, the cutting edgepart is designed in the entry region of the cutting knife with at leastone guide surface which ensures that the cutting knife comes intocontact with a slightly inclined surface section of the cutting edgepart, whereby interfering friction and unwanted wear are practicallyeliminated.

[0009] Further advantageous embodiments and features of the inventionare recited in the dependent claims and will also be explained in thedescription of an embodiment with reference to the drawing. There areshown in the drawing:

[0010]FIG. 1 in a schematic manner, a product supply unit cooperatingwith a cutting knife in a partly sectioned side view; and

[0011]FIG. 2 a front view of the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 1.

[0012] The product supply unit 1 arranged in a machine housing 10includes a product support surface 2 along which the product to besliced in each case is transported in the direction of the cutting gapformed between the knife 4 and the front end of the product supportsurface 2. In the embodiment shown, the product support surface 2 hasthree receivers arranged lying next to one another for three products tobe cut simultaneously, as is shown in FIG. 2.

[0013] The front end of the product support surface 2 is—as is shown inFIG. 1—formed by a cutting edge part 3, which preferably consists of asuitable plastic material.

[0014] The cutting edge part 3 is displaceably supported in the productsupply device 1 perpendicular to the cutting plane or to the circulatingorbit of the cutting knife 4, for which purpose the product supplydevice 1 has suitable guide surfaces 7. Two orbits 9 of differentcutting knives 4 are shown, for example, in FIG. 2.

[0015] The displaceability of the cutting edge part 3 in the directionof the cutting plane is bounded by an abutment 6 which ensures that thecutting edge part 3 can protrude into the cutting orbit of the knife 4by a maximum of only a few tenths of a millimeter. The cutting edge part3 is biased in the direction of the cutting plane, and indeed by atleast one spring element 5.

[0016] To ensure that the cutting edge part 3 can be displaced slightlyagainst the spring bias with each cut, i.e. with each cooperation withthe cutting knife 4, the cutting edge part 3 is fitted with a slightlyinclined guide surface 8 in the region of the knife entry. In practice,a slightly inclined, short guide surface 8 is sufficient whose uppermostpoint is set back with respect to the front surface of the cutting edgepart by, for example, approximately 1 mm and which subsequently mergesinto a vertical extent.

[0017] The light chamfering of a region of the front surface of thecutting edge part 2 required to provide the mentioned guide surface doesnot result in an impairment of the cutting quality, but it does allow asecure operation of the total apparatus while simultaneously ensuring anabsolutely constant cutting gap, since the cutting gap is formed witheach cut by the cooperation of the cutting knife with the cutting edgepart displaceably supported perpendicular to the cutting knife plane andis practically kept to the value zero.

[0018] Instead of the above-described passive function of the cuttingedge part 3, which is moved against a resilient bias perpendicular tothe cutting plane by the cutting knife, in accordance with a furtherembodiment of the invention, an actively controlled cutting edge partcan also be provided. The control of such a cutting edge part takesplace in dependence on the movement of the knife and, optionally, alsoin dependence on knife characteristics. Piezo-electric elements or otheractuating members, which ensure sufficiently fast and brief movements ofthe cutting edge part over short paths, for example, in the millimeterrange, can, for example, be considered as actuators for the movement ofthe cutting edge part

1. An apparatus for the slicing of food products such as ham, sausage,cheese and the like, comprising a cutting knife (4) which is driven in arotating manner and/or circulates in a planetary manner and whosecutting plane extends perpendicular to a product support surface (2) ofa product supply device (1), with the end of the product support surface(2) at the cutting knife side being formed by a cutting edge part (3)which forms a cutting gap together with the cutting knife (4),characterized in that the cutting edge part (3) is displaceablysupported perpendicular to the cutting plane and is biased against anabutment (6); and in that the abutment (6) is positioned and the cuttingedge part (3) is designed such that the cutting edge part (3) is atleast contacted by the knife (4) in each knife passage against theapplied bias and is in particular slightly deflected against the bias.2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that thedeflection of the cutting edge part (3) occurring with each knifepassage amounts to a fraction of a millimeter.
 3. An apparatus inaccordance with claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the cuttingedge part (3) is set under bias by means of at least one resilientelement, made in block form for example, or of a spring element (5). 4.An apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 3, characterizedin that the cutting edge part has at least one guide surface (8)cooperating with the cutting knife (4).
 5. An apparatus in accordancewith any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cuttingedge part (3) preferably consists of a plastic material or of steel. 6.An apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,characterized in that the cutting edge part (3) has a total path ofdisplacement in the range of approximately 2 to 3 mm on its guide (7).7. An apparatus for the slicing of food products such as ham, sausage,cheese and the like, comprising a cutting knife (4) which is driven in arotating manner and/or circulates in a planetary manner and whosecutting plane extends perpendicular to a product support surface (2) ofa product supply device (1), with the end of the product support surface(2) at the cutting knife side being formed by a cutting edge part (3)which forms a cutting gap together with the cutting knife (4),characterized in that the cutting edge part (3) is displaceablysupported perpendicular to the cutting plane and is connected to anactive actuating device which is controlled in dependence on themovement and/or on dimensional characteristics of the knife such that,with each knife passage, the knife and the cutting edge part form acutting gap which can be pre-set in size and in particular has the valueof zero.